1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wires for ornaments such as necklaces, bracelets or the like and, more particularly, to a wire for ornaments which dispenses with connecting elements for jewels, which is light in weight, and which is also easy in handling.
2. Related Art and Prior Art Statement
In necklaces or bracelets in which jewels such as pearls, crystals, corals, onyxes, turquoises or the like are linked together, connecting threads such as silk, artificial or chemical fibers or the like have been used. However, there are cases where the connecting threads having such material generate looseness with the passage of time, and are snapped. For this reason, it has been preferred to use metallic wires made of stainless steel as the connecting threads. FIG. 9 of the attached drawings shows the conventional or prior-art ornament such as a necklace, a bracelet or the like which has been manufactured by the use of a metallic wire. A metallic wire 90 made of stainless steel or the like passes through a plurality of jewels 91 to thereby connect the jewels 91 to each other. The wire 90 has a forward end thereof to which a fastener (clasp) 93 is connected through a connecting element 92. The fastener 93 is detachably engaged with a hook element (not shown) which is mounted on the other end of the wire 90, in order to make the ornaments endless. The connecting element 92 serves as a decoration or an ornament as well. However, an original or essential object thereof is to connect the wire 90 and the fastener 93 to each other. This is because the wire 90 serving as the connecting thread and the fastener 93 cannot directly be connected to each other and, accordingly, are connected to each other through the connecting element 92.
FIG. 10 shows a structure or construction in which the connecting element 92 is used to connect the wire 90 and the fastener 93 to each other. The connecting element 92 has various components including an end piece 95, a first connecting piece 96, a second connecting piece 97 and a spacer piece 98. First, the end piece 95 is fixedly mounted on the forward end of the wire 90 by soldering. Meanwhile, a U-shaped pin 99 is connected to the fastener 93. The U-shaped pin 99 is inserted into the first connecting piece 96. Inserted forward ends of the U-shaped pin 99 are caulked. Thus, the fastener 93 and the first connecting piece 96 are connected to each other. Subsequently, the wire 90 is caused to pass through the second connecting piece 97, and the jewels 91 are mounted on the wire 90. Subsequently, the second connecting piece 97 is inserted into the spacer piece 98. Under such state or condition, the second connecting piece 97 and the first connecting piece 96 are engaged with each other, and are joined to each other. Thus, the wire 90 and the fastener 93 are connected to each other through the connecting element 92. However, since the spacer piece 98 of the connecting element 92 is processed in decoration, the connecting element 92 per se is recognized as being a decoration or an ornament.
In this manner, the prior-art ornaments such as necklaces, bracelets or the like have the following problem. That is, since the prior-art ornaments such as necklaces, bracelets or the like use the connecting element 92 upon connection of the fastener 93 and the wire 90 to each other, the connecting element 92 is bulky and becomes an obstacle or a nuisance. Further, the weight of the connecting element 92 increases the weight of the entire ornament. Particularly, in a case where the wire 90 is made to a multiple connecting structure such as two-connection, three-connection or the like structure, the connecting elements are large-sized in keeping therewith and increase in number. Thus, the above-described disadvantage is conspicuous. Moreover, the prior-art ornaments have the following problem. That is, in the prior-art ornaments, the connecting element 92 is conspicuous, and the original functions of the necklaces or the bracelets which impart ornamentation by the jewels 91 is reduced. Furthermore, the jewels are damaged or flawed due to the fact that the connecting element 92 is in contact with the jewels 91.